Transcript Document

BUILDING PUBLIC WILL: LISTENING AND COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Monette Goodrich, Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs
Grantmakers in Health 2009 Art & Science of Health Grantmaking
June 10, 2009
Today’s Agenda
1. Introductions
2. Background on CT Health
3. Strategies to Build Public Will
4. Closing Thoughts & Additional Questions or
Comments
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INTRODUCTIONS
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Introductions
Take as much TP as
you think you will
need
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Introductions
For each sheet, tell us something about you!
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Sheet 1 = Start with your name, title and foundation affiliation
Sheet 2 = What do you hope to learn from this workshop?
Sheets 3 - ? = Interesting factoid(s) about yourself
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Introductions: Sheet 1
• Monette Goodrich Vice
President of
Communications & Public
Affairs
• Connecticut Health
Foundation
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Introductions: Sheet 2
I hope to learn
even more
strategies to
build public
will from you!
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Introductions: Sheet 3
I am named after a small town
(pop. 7,300) in southwestern
Missouri called Monett!
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Introductions: Sheet 4
I wore Brett Favre’s
game jersey while
visiting the Green
Bay Packers
locker room!
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BACKGROUND ON CT HEALTH
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Background on CT Health
• Connecticut’s largest independent, health
philanthropy
• CT Health is a “health conversion”
foundation
• Does not actively solicit donations
• Prudent investment strategy funds CT
Health in perpetuity
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Background on CT Health
• 476 grants totaling more than $38
million in 44 cities and towns
throughout the state
• Priority areas: oral health, children’s
mental health, racial & ethnic health
disparities (REHD)
• Endowment = $89 million
• Private 501(c) 3 foundation
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Background on CT Health
• Mission: To improve the health of
the people of Connecticut
• Theory of Change: Changing
systems over long-term
• Brand: Fostering innovative
solutions for health justice
• 10-Year Strategic Plan (2007-2017)
10-Year
Strategic Plan
Brand Promise
Mission &
Theory of
Change
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STRATEGIES TO BUILD PUBLIC WILL
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How CT Health Defines “Public Will”
“Public will“ is the expression of public
sentiment or opinion through a set
of efforts to educate, inform, or
influence a particular segment of the
public about an issue with the intent
of having them support or oppose
actions at the programmatic,
systemic, or policy level.
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Strategies to Build Public Will
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Grant-making
Research
Capacity building
Convening
Raising awareness
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Why Isn’t Communications a Strategy?
Communications should not be
considered a separate “strategy”
– Integrated into all strategies
– It’s a means to an end
– It’s the “how” and not the
“what”
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Strategies to Build Public Will: Grant-Making
• Documentary film
• Report on AfricanAmerican health in
Connecticut
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About URU, The Right to Be, Inc., Grant
•$125,000 in 2007 to develop &
disseminate documentary about
REHD
•$5,000 in 2009 to support
National Civic Engagement Tour
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Grant Highlights
• Multiple screenings and
discussions
• Leadership in Journalism
Award from Congressional
Black Caucus Health Braintrust
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About Connecticut State Conference of the
NAACP Grant
• $25,000 in 2003 to support the planning process of
developing a health status report
• $100,000 in 2004 to complete health status report
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Grant Highlights
• News media coverage
•NAACP as expert in AfricanAmerican health
• Helped solidify relationship
with NAACP
• Helped create Commission
on Health Equity
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Lessons Learned
Grantee is often the best messenger
because they:
– Reach new audiences
– Authentic voice
– Messages resonate with
community values
– Strengthen credibility
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PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXAMPLES
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Strategies to Build Public Will: Research
• Policy briefs &
educational briefings
• REHD internal baseline
research
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Policy Briefs & Educational Briefings
When Foundation Talks
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Policy Briefs: Based on target audience
• Decision-makers &
advocates
– News media is NOT a
target audience
– Web 2.0 or social media is
a link to target audience
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Policy Briefs: Based on target audience
• Content:
– Responsive
– National experts
• Format:
– 4 to 6 pages
– Messages/facts repeated
– Colorful pictures
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Policy Brief: Case Study Timeline
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Feb. 4, 2009: Governor proposed eliminating health coverage for legal immigrants and imposing additional
copayments for Medicaid beneficiaries
Feb. 19: CT Health commissioned Jack Hoadley of Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute to write
two policy briefs highlighting proposed 2010-2011 budget cuts
April 16: Met with Speaker of the House
April 21: Met with top Democratic representative on Appropriations Committee
April 30: Policy briefs unveiled during an educational briefing featuring Hoadley and HUSKY beneficiary
Evelyn Richardson at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford
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About 50 advocates, lobbyists and legislators/staff members attended
Briefing covered in CT News Junkie.com, New Haven Independent, La Identidad Latina and the New Haven Register
Met with top Republican senator on Appropriations Committee
Made 9 new contacts
Policy briefs contributed to development of an ad hoc legal immigrant advocacy group
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Policy Brief: Case Study Timeline
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May 1: Met with Manchester daily newspaper editorial page editor; local bloggers linked to CT Health’s policy briefs; sent
out CT Health e-news to more than 2,300 contacts
May 7: Policy briefs distributed at 40-person and 100-person advocate meetings
May 8: Presented research findings during monthly Managed Care Council meeting
May 19: Op ed published in Hartford Courant
May 27: Interviewed on New Haven radio station
May 28: Met with New London daily newspaper editorial board
June 1-30: CT Health-generated stories scheduled to appear in 2 African-American weekly newspapers; one Spanish
language weekly newspaper and one Polish language monthly newspaper
June 4: Met with New Haven daily newspaper editorial board
June 5: Interviewed on ABC affiliate’s weekly public affairs show
June 11: Scheduled to appear on NBC affiliate’s weekly public affairs show
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Lessons Learned
• “Makes the case” for a public policy
change
• Provides a “news hook”
• Format resonates with target
audience
• Experts are political
• Integrating human element with data
and health system difficult
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REHD Internal Baseline Research
When Foundation Listens
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REHD Internal Baseline Research
Research Question
Research Project
How does the media cover REHD?
Media content analysis
What is the current public awareness and
understanding of REHD?
Telephone survey & focus group discussion
Who, in Connecticut, can help building public will
around REHD?
Personal interviews
How can CT Health leverage its relationships to impact Social network mapping
REHD?
What role can public policy play in decreasing REHD?
Legal analysis
Media Content Analysis
Lessons Learned
• Focus on systemic causes and solutions to
REHD
• Educate government officials/politicians,
academics and healthcare professionals
• Cultivate additional “messengers” in traditional
and new media
• Develop messages that link to values, stories
rather than data
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Telephone Survey
Lessons Learned
Challenge to change myths around REHD:
• Whites believe equal opportunity for quality health care
• People of color blame the victim
•All agreed REHD is poor person’s problem
Target specific groups who are likely to build public will:
• Latino voters, ages 25-3
• Politically moderate/independent white women, ages 25-34
• Politically progressive white men, ages 21-34
Focus Groups
Lessons Learned
• Increase awareness of REHD
• Messages should highlight equal access to
quality health care
• Focus on stories and values rather than
data/statistics around REHD
• Difficult to measure attitude/knowledge since
many think, say, feel differently about
REHD/health inequities
Personal Interviews
Lessons Learned
• Develop both unifying message and secondary
messages
• Coordinate distinct efforts across the state
• Develop specific actions/activities
• Build capacity of existing organizations
Social Network Mapping
Lessons Learned
• Link across state through virtual network
platform
• Develop new alliances with most influence to
create public will
• Support new methods of educating &
communicating with partners
Legal Analysis
Lessons Learned
Solutions require systems-wide
changes in gov’t.
infrastructure & culture:
– Resource reallocation
– Change in practice
– Attitudinal shifts
What We Learned
• Focus on systems-wide solutions to REHD
problem
• Debunking myths difficult
• “Equal access” to health care resonates with
multiple audiences
• Build capacity of existing REHD efforts
• Social media bridge to new audiences
• Changing government culture takes time
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PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXAMPLES
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Strategies to Build Public Will: Capacity Building
Health Leadership Fellows Program
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About Health Leadership Fellows Program
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Foster next generation of REHD leaders
Year-round knowledge and skill-building program
Entering into 6th year; more than 100 graduates
Cost approximately $200,000 annually
80 percent of each class of 20 Fellows is reserved for people
of color
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Impact on Rose Abréu-Sánchez
• Featured in annual report
• Program inspired graduate
degree
• Strengthen advocacy skills
and ability to navigate the
health care system
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Lessons Learned
• Reducing REHD requires both awareness and leadership
• Communities of color in CT have fewer leadership development
opportunities
• Participants share/use knowledge of REHD within multiple networks
• Individual capacity building may have long ROI
• Communicate impact of Fellowship on individuals regularly
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PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXAMPLES
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Strategies to Build Public Will: Convening
Public Policy Panel
on Racial &
Ethnic Health
Disparities
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About the Panel
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12-member panel of community, faith and professional leaders
Educated by national/local experts
Three public forums
Developed a series of specific public policy recommendations in four areas:
– Social and environmental factors
– Data collection and analysis
– Language barriers
– Workforce diversity
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Communicating Public Policy Recommendations:
Report
• 44-page report written and produced by foundation staff
• Included more than 58 references
• Most expensive publication in history of foundation – nearly
$11 per report
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Communicating Public Policy Recommendations:
Educational Briefing
• 90-minute briefing at state capitol
building
• Reaction panel: attorney general,
speaker of the house, department of
public health deputy commissioner,
senate appropriations committee cochair
• 60 policy-makers, advocates, grantees
attended
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Communicating Public Policy Recommendations:
Earned Media
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Letter to the editor in The Hartford Courant
2 editorial board meetings
4 radio interviews
2 television segments
7 newspaper stories
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Communicating Public Policy Recommendations:
Ad Campaign
• $32,000 ad campaign for ethnic
newspapers June-July 2005
• Tested ad images and messages
• Messages:
– Center on healthy lifestyle
– “How to tips”
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Public Policy Impact: Grants
• Department of Public Health to coordinate racial/ethnic health data statewide
• Capitol Region Conference of Churches and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to raise
awareness
• Lao Association and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to develop culturally
appropriate health promotion strategies
• Naugatuck Valley Project to document health care access among patients with LEP
• Hispanic Health Council to coordinate newly formed Connecticut Coalition for
Medical Interpretation
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Public Policy Impact: Research
• Commissioned two reports and two policy briefs about
medical interpretation services for LEP Medicaid beneficiaries
• Commissioned Community Health Data Scan for Connecticut
• Added another website featuring charts, graphs and other
health indicators related to REHD
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Lessons Learned
• Need long-term education campaign to
increase awareness
• Internal report development time
consuming
• Recommendations generated many
successful grants & new partnerships
• Generated movement in public policy arena
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PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXAMPLES
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Strategies to Build Public Will: Raising Awareness
• Community
sponsorships
• Virtual community
engagement
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Community Sponsorships
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Support nonprofit organizations’ events
Alignment with priority areas or mission
Program or promotional material advertisement
$20,000 annual budget
Not publicly promoted; word of mouth
Foundation grantees are not eligible for sponsorships
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Strategy Behind Community Sponsorships
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Reach new audiences
Increase awareness of foundation & priority areas
Demonstrate support of local community
Reinforce brand
High ROI – a lot of bang for the buck
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Impact: Southwest Regional Mental Health Board
• $1,000 to sponsor National
Depression Screening Day
screenings at ten sites
• Foundation logo in multiple
formats & communications
channels
• News coverage of CT Health
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Virtual Community Engagement
• $200,000 in 2009 to develop an
online community strategy
• Received 30 RFQ submissions
• Invite 5-10 to submit full
application & interview
• Select grantee in September
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PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXAMPLES
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
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Closing Thoughts on Building Public Will
• Building public will is a marathon
• Requires multiple partners & strategies
• Strategic communications vital in:
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Raising awareness
Building relationships
Connecting people and organizations
Attracting most appropriate grantees
– Strengthening foundation’s credibility
QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS?
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Contact Information
Monette Goodrich
Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs
Connecticut Health Foundation
74B Vine Street
New Britain, CT 06001
860.224.2208 (direct line)
[email protected]
www.cthealth.org
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